“Not fair.”
“Really? You aren’t the only one allowed to throw punches. Has it occurred to you that the reason we have so many unresolved issues is because you don’t stick around long enough to resolve them?”
Emma’s mouth fell open, then snapped shut. “I’m leaving.” She ducked under his arm.
“See you at the wedding tomorrow afternoon.”
He shouldn’t be so quick to blame her, he thought as he watched her drive away, his anger vented. She wasn’t the only one using present circumstances to wage a battle rooted in the past. And there was a margin of truth to her statement that the two of them had spent the night together for old time’s sake. Hadn’t he used the flimsy excuse of mistletoe to kiss her the first time?
Putting their argument aside for the moment, Nick decided to see about Leonard and Candy. Hopefully they’d fared better at settling their differences than he and Emma.
Inside, Holly reported that her father and Candy were still sequestered in the bedroom. Nick took that as a good sign, though he wished Holly would find something else to do other than hang around like a vulture circling a carcass.
In the barn, he met with Toby and two of the other ranch hands before saddling his favorite horse. Each rider would each take a different section of the grazing range to search for the missing heifers.
Before leaving, Nick replaced the batteries in his walkie-talkie. With inclement weather in the forecast, now wasn’t the time to be caught without reliable communication. Twenty minutes later he crossed the border into section number fifteen just as a few flakes of snow drifted lazily to the ground. Not exactly a blizzard as predicted, but that could change and probably would.
He rode along a steep and rocky ridge, periodically guiding the big gelding down into ravines or behind stands of trees where cattle typically liked to hide. Stopping on a rise, he took out his binoculars from his saddlebag and scanned the horizon. Swirling snow, however, impeded his view. Even so, Nick refused to give up. Fortunately, the gelding was young and strong and up to the task.
Finally, after another two hours—and a tip from one of the other wranglers out searching—Nick’s efforts paid off. He located a heifer taking shelter in the bottom of a gully. At the sight of him, she gave a long, lusty low and scrambled up the incline, evidently more than ready to return to the home pastures where food, water and warm bodies to huddle next to waited.
Rather than start ahead, Nick tilted his head to one side and listened carefully over the roaring wind. Was that another heifer lowing in the distance? Maybe. Yes, definitely!
He herded the first heifer in the direction of the sound. Before long, he found the pregnant heifer he’d been worried about behind the decayed trunk of a long-ago felled pine tree. His relief was short-lived. She stood over the still body of what could only be her calf.
Swearing under his breath, Nick dismounted and tied his horse to a nearby branch. She’d picked a lousy time and place to deliver. The heifer snorted and shifted with unease as he neared her. Nick proceeded cautiously. Mother cows had been known to be aggressive when protecting their young. Even their dead young.
He debated returning for the rope tied to his saddle. This girl may not want to leave and lassoing her could be his only option. Suddenly, a movement caught his eye. What in the...
The calf’s right front leg twitched again.
“Well, I’ll be,” Nick muttered. The calf was still alive. Hard to believe, in this weather.
Wasting no time and disregarding his personal safety, Nick went to the calf, lifted it in his arms and carried it back to his horse. The poor thing was as cold as ice and hardly breathing.
Removing his spare rain poncho from the saddlebag, he wrapped the calf in the only protection he could offer and laid it across the horse’s neck. Thankfully, the horse proved his worth and didn’t spook.
With luck, Nick could get the calf, its mother and the other heifer back to safety before the storm hit. As he mounted, one hand on the weak calf to hold it steady, his glance darted to the sky. Not his imagination. Snow was falling harder. The blizzard might not wait till after the wedding.
“Hold on,” he told the calf, and nudged his horse into a fast walk as he pushed the two heifers ahead of him and in the direction of home.
With all he had on his mind, and all the obstacles he faced, Nick was surprised to find himself thinking of Emma and their argument. Apparently once wasn’t enough, and he’d required a second hard-hitting lesson before realizing they weren’t meant to be together.
* * *
FEELING GUILTY FOR LEAVING, Emma phoned her mother the instant she pulled away from the Yule Tide Ranch. On the one hand, the call was reassuring. Her mother and Leonard were still deep in conversation. Her mother’s tearful tone, however, was troubling. Perhaps Emma should have stayed. Then again, Leonard had insisted on privacy.
Excuses, excuses. The truth was, Emma needed to escape. She and Nick hadn’t conversed, privately or otherwise. They’d fought. But, dammit, she was right. He should have told her about dating Holly. Did he not think she’d find out eventually, or that it wouldn’t hurt?
She swallowed a sob. History really was repeating itself. Would she have come back to Mistletoe if she’d known what would happen?
Yes, of course. For her mother, anything. But she’d have avoided Nick at all costs and definitely wouldn’t have spent the night with him. Or kissed him. Or spoken to him unless absolutely necessary.
Her chest ached. Her throat burned. Her eyes stung. God willing, the drama was at an end. Regardless, Emma was leaving at the soonest possible opportunity.
Because that’s what you always do. The second trouble hits, Emma heads for the hills.
Nick’s voice reverberated inside her head. Was it true? Did she run away rather than deal with the consequences? Some might say her track record spoke for itself.
She slapped the steering wheel. Enough with the self-analysis. It accomplished nothing. Instead she phoned Cole, who was still at his buddy’s house, and gave him the condensed version of their mother’s altercation with Holly. The news that the wedding was on hold upset Cole, and he let Emma know in no uncertain terms.
“Well, I guess you got what you wanted.”
“Wait a minute! I only—”
He didn’t let her finish. “Swing by and pick me up.”
Seeing him stumble from the door to her car, slightly hungover from the effects of last night, Emma did her own insisting and drove them straight to the Mistletoe Café for a late breakfast. The hearty food and gallon of coffee Cole drank revived him.
“Aren’t you a little too old for partying all night?” she scolded as they neared the ranch. What they were going to do when they arrived she didn’t know, but Cole would hear of nothing else. Their mother needed them.
Emma hoped Nick was still out searching for stray heifers. She couldn’t handle another confrontation. Not today.
“Bachelor party.” Cole closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. Apparently the three aspirin he’d downed hadn’t kicked in yet.
“But Leonard wasn’t there.”
“Carl’s idea. We decided to celebrate on Leonard’s behalf.”
“Stupid.”
“I’m glad now he didn’t come with us.”
So was Emma.
“Poor Mom,” Cole said. “She must be a basket case. I just hope they don’t call off the wedding.”
“I don’t want them calling off the wedding, either. Though postponing it might not be a bad idea.”
“They aren’t you, Emma.”
“I realize that,” she snapped. Why was everyone, everyone being Nick and now Cole, giving her a hard time? “But Leonard isn’t just Holly’s father. He’s her boss, too. The Yule Tide Ranch is also her home. They need to get along. If not, the business
could suffer.”
“Are you saying he should put his daughter before his own happiness?”
“I’m saying he shouldn’t entirely dismiss her objections. And if that means giving her another six months to become more accustomed to the idea of a stepmother, then yeah, I’m in favor of it. That would also give Mom more time to show Holly she isn’t a threat.”
Emma commended herself for such a well-constructed and reasonably presented argument.
“Tell Mom that and I’ll disown you.”
“What?” She gaped at Cole.
“You need to be supporting her. Not complicating things.”
“I’m not. I mean, I do support her. And I’m not complicating things.”
“Really?” He sent her an arch look. “What about you and Nick? As if they didn’t have enough to worry about. Now two members of their wedding party are at each other’s throats.”
Why had she mentioned her fight with Nick over breakfast? “I agree. We should have waited.”
Waited to get married. Waited and not slept with each other this weekend. Waited to have their huge blowout until after the wedding. Their entire relationship, start to finish, was one continuous race.
“Fix this,” Cole said. “Whatever it takes. You don’t have to be friends. Just play nice during the wedding and reception.”
“If there is one.”
“Quit being such a pessimist.”
Her brother’s scolding, deserved or not, stung. Emma remained silent after that. At the ranch house, they knocked on the front door. To her surprise, Leonard answered and ushered them in. Had he and her mother finished conversing? Was the wedding back on?
Evidently not. When they entered the kitchen, her mother and Holly sat at the table, both hastily pulling themselves together. On closer inspection, Leonard also showed signs of strain.
Cole bent his head close to Emma’s and whispered, “Follow my lead.”
“What?”
“Divide and conquer. I’ll take Holly.”
Emma had no clue what her brother was up to and watched with curiosity as he went over and gave their mother a hug. “How you doing, Mom?”
“I’m fine.” She leaned in to give his cheek a pat, only to cling desperately to him.
This was worse than Emma first thought. And, in her opinion, entirely preventable.
Holly stood and said tersely, “If you’ll excuse me.”
Leonard waylaid her. “Isn’t there something you’d like to say to Emma before you go?”
Holly clenched her jaw and breathed deeply. “I’m sorry for the scene I caused earlier.”
Just about the most insincere apology Emma had ever heard. Then again, Leonard had treated Holly as if she were a child. Under the same circumstances, Emma would have been annoyed at her father.
Glimpsing the hope on her mother’s face and a warning look on Cole’s, Emma accepted the lame apology with a much more heartfelt response. “I know it must have been hurtful, seeing that dish from your dad’s cousin.”
“It was.” Holly turned to leave.
Cole’s plan to divide and conquer became apparent when he blocked Holly’s exit. “Since this is my first time here, why don’t you show me around the place?”
She stared at him suspiciously. “You want a tour?”
“Yeah.” He grinned, his dimples in full force. “I’ve never seen a cattle operation before.”
Holly’s resolve visibly weakened. She was either susceptible to his obvious flirtations or jumping on any excuse to leave. “Okay. Let me grab my jacket. It’s snowing outside.”
Cole gave Emma a subtle nod, which she translated into, “Get Mom alone and talk some sense into her.”
The problem was, Emma thought her mother was already being sensible.
“Glad that’s settled,” Leonard announced, and taking her mother’s hand, hauled her to her feet. “Now, beautiful lady, we can get back to what counts. Namely, our wedding.”
“Not so fast,” her mother warned.
“But Holly—”
“She’s being nice because you read her the riot act. She still isn’t ready to accept me as your wife or her stepmother.”
“I disagree. Besides, what we do isn’t any of her concern.”
“Emma has a point.”
“Me?” Emma squeaked.
“About taking it slow,” her mother reiterated.
“Now, just a gall darn minute.” Leonard’s patience was clearly used up.
“What difference will a few months make if Holly is more comfortable?”
That was exactly the point Emma had been trying to make. Yet it didn’t sound quite the same coming from her mother or in the face of Leonard’s frustration.
“This isn’t about Holly,” he insisted.
“It’s about all of us, if we ever expect to be a family.”
Their debate escalated, becoming more and more personal until Emma felt like an intruder. She was also painfully reminded of her and Nick’s earlier disagreement. Ignoring Cole’s directive to talk sense into their mother, she slipped unnoticed through the back door.
On the stoop, she adjusted her wool scarf and secured the top button on her coat. No forgetting it this time. Though light, the snow was falling in earnest. She could only guess where Cole and Holly had gone off to and, frankly, didn’t care. Joining them was last on her list of priorities.
Was Nick still searching for lost cows? She hoped not. As mad as she was at him, neither man nor beast deserved to be out in foul weather.
After a few minutes of aimless strolling, Emma tired of her own dreary company and was more than ready to return to the warmth of the house. Except, what if her mother and Leonard were still arguing?
Guilt ate at her. She wasn’t responsible for this fiasco. Or the one with her and Nick. Not really. Okay, maybe a little. Perhaps.
Standing still, she squeezed her eyes shut and let the wind and snow flurries pummel her. This had turned into the worst day of her life. No, the second worst. And she had no one to blame but herself.
Hearing the sound of voices over the wind, she opened her eyes. Cole and Holly were walking across the large open area from the horse barn to the detached office. Unlike everyone else, they were getting along well. Splendidly, in fact. When the coast was clear, Emma started for the barn. While cold, at least the building provided cover from the elements.
Memories assailed her the moment she stepped through the wide doorway. She’d always loved visiting the Yule Tide’s many horses, and Nick had frequently brought her here when they were dating. Teaching her to ride had been one of their favorite pastimes.
Nick. Did her every thought have to circle back to him?
She stopped at the stall of a small brown mare, who immediately came over and bumped her arm in a bid for attention.
“Aren’t you a sweet girl.” She continued her one-sided conversation while running her hand along the mare’s sleek neck.
“What are you doing here?”
Startled, she gasped softly. Wind and cold had left Nick’s entire face a bright crimson. Snow covered him from head to toe, freezing to ice on the shoulders of his heavy coat and the brim of his cowboy hat.
“Are you all right?”
Rather than answer, he brushed by her without stopping.
She hurried after him. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m trying to save a life.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I CAN HELP,” Emma insisted.
It didn’t take a genius to see that Nick wasn’t happy about her accompanying him to a shed behind the barn. But after he’d told her about finding the mother cow and calf, which was at this moment clinging to life, Emma refused to leave.
“I don’t need any help,”
he grumbled.
“Quit being so stubborn.”
That earned her a disapproving scowl. All right, he wasn’t the only one reluctant to compromise.
Emma watched him remove a jug from an old refrigerator in the corner. It contained a white substance, which he poured into a large plastic bottle and diluted with warm water from a laundry sink.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Colostrum.”
Emma knew next to nothing about babies—human or cow—but she’d gleaned enough from TV and pregnant friends to understand that colostrum had something to do with mother’s milk. The concoction Nick prepared must be a substitute.
He screwed an equally large nipple onto the bottle. With his free hand, he tugged a pile of old blankets off the shelf. Setting both down, he removed a tall lamp from the corner. It was unlike any lamp Emma had seen before, its bulb covered with metal mesh. Clean rags were added to the pile of blankets.
“You can’t carry everything.” Emma reached for the blankets and towels.
He made a disgruntled sound but didn’t stop her.
While not heavy, the items were bulky. Emma stumbled more than once on their way to the empty horse stall where Nick had left the calf. At the sight of its still, pale form lying on the sawdust-covered floor, her heart broke.
“Where’s the mother?” she asked.
“In the pasture. She’d only get in the way.”
“In the way?” Emma was appalled. How could Nick be so cruel? “You’d separate her from her baby?”
“Her instincts are to protect her calf. She wouldn’t understand we’re trying to save it. She could be dangerous. Inadvertently injure me or her calf.”
Emma’s mistake. Nick wasn’t being cruel at all—a fact that became more and more apparent as he gently but vigorously toweled the calf dry with the rags. His reward was a feeble bleating sound as the calf attempted to lift its head.
“Did you find all the missing heifers?” Emma hovered nearby.
“Toby’s bringing in the last three. He radioed an hour ago.”
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